Faint Rays of Light
by reminiscent-afterthought
Summary: [drabble collection] Often, they are difficult to see and indistinct. But when caught on glass, they come alive for a fleeting moment. / 2. Edward and his father disagree about the value of looking back.
1. (Cos) Edward, Flight

**A/N:** This collection contains uncorrelated drabbles (no poetry) part of several different challenges (and possibly competitions too) from the Fullmetal Alchemist: A Bit of Everything Forum (link's on my profile). They'll be from both the 2003 and 2009 animes and their respected movies, or general, but I'll mention what it is for easier navigation.

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><p><strong>Faint Rays of Light<strong>  
><em>a collection of drabbles<em>

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><p><strong>Context: <strong>Post 2003, pre-CoS**  
>Character(s)<strong>: Edward Elric  
><strong>Challenge(s):<strong> The A-Maze-Ing Race Challenge, prompt: flight

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><p>Edward had long since been drowned in the masses of people flocking to the square, and instead of fight the majority he'd simply let himself be swept away. It wasn't as though he had a particular goal in mind after all: aside from his search for a way home, currently facilitated by his studies at the university, he had nothing to ground him to this world.<p>

Really, it made no difference if he spent his Saturday evening like a dry bird in the taverns, or one with clipped wings running along the ground as they watched the fighter planes in the sky. What did matter was how many those fighter planes would kill once they went into practise, just like how those Philosophers Stones of Doctor Marcoh had killed so many Ishbalans in the hands of the Amestrian Military.

And yet he'd created them anyway, just like people had created those fighter planes, possibly for other reasons than the war. People with their own personal desires they tried to realise, even if it cost the rest of the world a very steep price.

Edward gave himself a sad smile; he was really no different. Looking for a way home no matter what it cost, no matter what consequences opening the Gate again could bring. It was what had brought him into the heart of war again, what had caused him to leave England for a similar nightmare instead of a small haven of peace.

But there was no peace for a drowning man, he reflected in the loud whirs of engines as fighter planes continued their acrobatics overhead. He wondered if the Icarus in the legends really could have drowned, or had he clawed his way up to the surface and created new wings for himself from steel?


	2. (2009) Edward&Hohenheim, Looking Back

**A/N:** This collection contains uncorrelated drabbles (no poetry) part of several different challenges (and possibly competitions too) from the Fullmetal Alchemist: A Bit of Everything Forum (link's on my profile). They'll be from both the 2003 and 2009 animes and their respected movies, or general, but I'll mention what it is for easier navigation.

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><p><strong>Faint Rays of Light<strong>  
><em>a collection of drabbles<em>

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><p><strong>Context: <strong>2009**  
>Character(s)<strong>: Edward Elric, Van Hohenheim  
><strong>Challenge(s):<strong> The Monthly Quotes Challenge, January 2014 - "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."- Soren Kierkegaard; Halloween Daily Prompts Challenge, Day 6 (medium): Edward, paintbrush, hide, _If you're going through hell, keep going,_ - Winston Churchill; The Snakes and Ladders Challenge, Edward Elric.

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><p>Edward tried to avoid looking back. He thought of it, looking back that is, as a futile exercise – one that slowed the mind down. What came of it, after all, except feelings of regret and despair? It was the future that held the possibilities, the hope, the other paths; the past simply held the mistakes that could never be taken back.<p>

Hohenheim disagreed; he thought his son's refusal to look back was a childish thing, the sort that led little kids to hide under the bed in a thunderstorm, to colour over the scary things and pretend they weren't there. And maybe it was like that, but Edward refused to believe it. Looking back was his way to look forward – and maybe he wasn't strong enough to walk through life backwards.

He did look, sometimes. In his nightmares. In the brief moments of regret he allowed himself when he saw his brother's hollowed body or other trails of tears he left behind. But he walked with his eyes set forward, each step deeper into sin, into hell, to fix those mistakes on his back.

If he kept on looking at them, he might stop, get stuck. He couldn't do that; he couldn't afford that. He needed everything he had to go on forward – to go until he reached the end and patched up all those bleeding holes in the past: Alphonse's body, his own arm and leg, that sad look Winry and Pinako always gave him whenever they repaired his automail… If he kept on looking back on them, he'd never be able to turn metal into flesh, nor frowns into smiles.

He wouldn't be able to bring happiness back. But that was why he struggled through hell, went towards a greater hell. By pushing it in front of him, he opened up the gardens of heaven behind. He didn't believe in a God, but he still believed there was a happily ever after out there for anyone, no matter what the past said against it. He simply had to salvage what he could from the past and then leave it behind, press on.

Hohenheim still thought his son was running away from that past. And he knew, one day, Edward would have to stop and look properly at that past he'd been regarding, till then, with slanted eyes.

Because Edward had salvaged a bit, but not everything, from the baggage of his past.


	3. (2009) Scar, Ishbala's Will

**A/N:** This collection contains uncorrelated drabbles (no poetry) part of several different challenges (and possibly competitions too) from the Fullmetal Alchemist: A Bit of Everything Forum (link's on my profile). They'll be from both the 2003 and 2009 animes and their respected movies, or general, but I'll mention what it is for easier navigation.

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><p><strong>Faint Rays of Light<strong>  
><em>a collection of drabbles<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Context: <strong>During 2009**  
>Character(s)<strong>: Scar, Ishbala  
><strong>Challenge(s):<strong> The Becoming the Tamer King Challenge, FMA Style – Meeting Azulongmon 1

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><p>The blood of the innocent stained his arms, and of the alchemists his hand. That was the fate Ishbala had given him, and the fate he bore. Others frowned at him, scowled at him – called him blasphemies under the sun: a falsity that sullied Ishbala's name. But he was faithful; he knew. And if Ishbala had given him such a task, he would fulfil it.<p>

And of course the alchemists screamed blood at him: called him a murdering bastard because he crushed their ranks. He said the same to them: alchemists, the dogs of the military that went against nature's will…and that had destroyed his home and way of life.

It was them. Bastards like them. And yet he did not let hatred consume him. Ishbala was his savoir, the one who gave him a purpose other than vengeance – the vengeance that had blinded him and taken from a girl her parents. If he ever met that girl she had every right to kill him – just like he had every right to kill the alchemists that had burned Ishbal to the ground.

But that was not why he hunted them. That was not why he kept the hand his brother had given to him: the hand filled with the blood of the sacrificed at Ishbal. That was not why he uttered the prayer to Ishbala every time he sent another sinner, another alchemist, to meet her. It was because that was her will: the will of Ishbala that arts that changed nature should not exist – that was why alchemy was outlawed to them after all.

And she had given him, a faithful follower to her doctrine, the power of alchemy as well. Alchemy to bring judgement upon alchemists: if that was its purpose he would not call it a crime.


	4. (CoS) Alfons&EdwardNoah, Late Bloomer

**A/N:** This collection contains uncorrelated drabbles (no poetry) part of several different challenges (and possibly competitions too) from the Fullmetal Alchemist: A Bit of Everything Forum (link's on my profile). They'll be from both the 2003 and 2009 animes and their respected movies, or general, but I'll mention what it is for easier navigation.

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><p><strong>Faint Rays of Light<strong>  
><em>a collection of drabbles<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Context: <strong>During CoS**  
>Character(s)<strong>: Alfons, (implied Edward/Noah)  
><strong>Challenge(s):<strong> The A-Maze-Ing Race Challenge, prompt: Edward/Noah

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><p>Alfons Heiderich had known Edward Elric for almost two years, but there was a lot the other did that still managed to surprise him. Bringing a gypsy girl into his bed was the latest in a long list.<p>

He hadn't been at all surprised to hear Edward annoyed at him; it wasn't the first time they'd had that little debate after all, over whether the world Edward talked about was a reality or just a fantasy he'd made up. Alfons always came away from those discussions somewhat concerned. Edward really seemed to _believe_ the stories he spoke about – but alchemy that sounded almost like magic? A brother in a tin can? A twelve year old joining the military? Immortal beings? All of it was too surreal, beyond his capacity to believe.

His limit was seeing rockets fly in to space. And speaking of that, the first surprise of the day had been Edward refusing to watch the launch. And he'd worked so hard as well, harder than all of them except perhaps Alfons himself, and that was simply because Edward wasn't a dying man, and no-one who wasn't could match the drive of one who was.

And then he goes and causes a stir – which is normal for Edward when he gets worked up…which is rarely – and then he goes for a walk – also normal – and comes back home before Alfons and leaves again, leaving a dark skinned and frill-dressed girl asleep in his bed.

That was definitely unusual, because not once in all the time Alfons had known Edward did the latter ever show an interest in girls. And he thought a gypsy girl was a rather odd choice of girl to bring home. Nothing wrong with them in particular, but people tended to be quite biased towards them. Even Alfons who wasn't such a person by nature found himself making sure his keepsakes were all there once he got back downstairs.

He felt guilty when he realised nothing was missing at all. And somewhat thrown for a loop as well. Even if it was just like Edward to pull something completely unexpected out of the hat – but this at least Alfons could have fun teasing him about.

And Edward had been rather late in finding himself a girlfriend. He well deserved it.


End file.
